How Smoking Could Hurt You in the Job Market

It’s tough to get a job these days, and sometimes it can even be tough to keep one. More than ever, employees and potential employees have to set themselves apart from their peers. Unfortunately for smokers, their habit might be setting them apart in a bad way. While in many places it may be technically illegal to fire or not hire a person based on whether they are a smoker, it is often true that employers favour those who don’t smoke, and we’d like to look at the reasons for that.

One reason that a smoker is less desirable as an employee is that they will inevitably take more breaks during the day than their non-smoking counterpart. Even if a person takes only a few cig breaks a day, that is anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes spent away from work-related tasks.

It’s no secret that smoking makes you stink, and this will turn employers off too. When asked about how job candidates make a bad first impression in an interview, one business owner said smoking beforehand was an immediate red flag.

“People should remember that they only have one chance to make a first impression. It is the total package, but also all of the little things. If a candidate came in for an interview and reeked of cigarette smoke, I’d take them to the cafeteria instead of my office. I could get rid of them quicker”, said Mary Stern of Monument Consulting and publishing.

Lastly, the reality is that smokers are more likely to get sick than other employees since the nasty ingredients in combustible cigs weaken the immune system. A non-smoker might avoid a cold that goes around the office while a non-smoker could be less likely to get sick in the first place and also have a shorter recovery time.

At the end of the day, a smelly employee who takes more breaks and days off than everyone else is pretty obviously less appealing than someone without those issues. So if you’re looking for work or trying to rise up in your career, that might be just one more reason to quit combustibles.